Body of missing pilot removed, sent to hometown

Crews have removed the body of an Arkansas Forestry Commission pilot from a crash site in Montgomery County.

Twelve days after disappearing during a wildfire patrol, the remains of pilot Jake Harrell were being taken back home to North Little Rock on Wednesday.

Harrell missed a check-in on Jan. 31 while flying over western Arkansas. An emergency beacon in his aircraft didn't work and searchers didn't spot the wreckage until Tuesday. Harrell was found dead at the scene.

The crash site was in remote and rugged wilderness and crews needed the extra day to remove the body.

Forestry Commission spokesman Adriane Barnes says federal investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.